Dealers refuse to pick up 70K HSC English-language books

May 22, 2013, 07:22 IST
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Kranti Vibhute

In protest of LBT being levied on all educational textbooks, with exception of govt published textbooks, most dealers have not collected Yuvakbharati, Psychology and Geography books from Goregaon distribution centre since May 3

While the strike against LBT has hit day-to-day commodities the most, authorised dealers dealing in textbooks have refused to pick as many as 70,000 HSC English medium books from the Maharashtra State textbook distribution centre, Goregaon. The books that are lying at the centre are English Yuvakbharati, Psychology and Geography.

HSC English Yuvakbharati textbooks still lying in Maharashtra State textbook distribution centre, Goregaon (W) yesterday. The new session is to begin from June 2013. Pics/Kiran Bhalerao

As reported in MiD DAY yesterday (LBT takes down book dealers too), the traders are on an indefinite strike and have stopped supply to wholesalers and distributors after learning that LBT will be imposed on all educational textbooks, with only the exception of government published textbooks. However, most authorised dealers had stopped collecting textbooks since May 3.

Many of the dealers who do have the books with them, have withdrawn the 10-12% discount that is usually given to booksellers. “We haven’t received HSC books of Geography and Psychology in English and Marathi language, and French textbooks from dealers due to their strike against LBT,” said a retailer from Dadar.

When asked, Amit Halbe, an authorised dealer, Halbe agency, Girgaon, said, “It is true that we have not collected textbooks from Goregaon centre. Our last delivery was on May 2. Unless the government doesn’t give in writing that all educational books, including private publishers, are exempted from LBT, we will not call off the strike.”

Echoing his sentiments, Zoher G, another authorised dealer, said, “Yes, the authorised dealers have not collected textbooks of English Yuvakbharati, Geography and Psychology due to the strike.” According to a regulation passed in 2004, during the tenure of then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, no Octroi was to be applicable on schoolbooks and reference books.

The other side “It is true that authorised dealers have not come to collect 70,000 textbooks from our centre yet, since May 3,” said Ajay Yadav, Manager at Goregaon State Distribution Centre.